“Introvert Nation”: 50 Of The Funniest And Most Relatable Memes From This Instagram Page
Carl Jung was one of the first people to define the terms introvert and extrovert in a psychological context; Jung described extroverts as preferring to engage with the outside world of objects, sensory perception, and action while introverts, according to him, are more focused on the internal world, are thoughtful and insightful.
The former usually have little to no trouble expressing their thoughts, feelings, and opinions—something we can't really say about the latter, which are often said to be shy or socially awkward and lack strong interpersonal skills. So in an attempt to understand them better, let's take a look at the Instagram account 'Introvert Nation.'
From getting a haircut to work and dating, it touches upon plenty of different aspects of everyday life and paints a pretty accurate picture of what it's like to be your own best friend. Continue scrolling to check out the content that 'Introvert Nation' has to offer and the conversation we had on the topic with writer Sophia Dembling, the author of The Introvert's Way: Living a Quiet Life in a Noisy World and Introverts in Love: The Quiet Way to Happily Ever After as well as psychologist Leon F. Seltzer, Ph.D., who—until October of 2020—had maintained a general private practice with clinical specialties in anger, trauma resolution (using EMDR and IFS), couples conflict, compulsive/addictive behaviors, stress control, and depression.
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More importantly my dogs are there. And also, I don't like people.
When i am awake way too early this is my favourite moment. A cup of tea, a blanket, being outside and just see the world before it wakes up
Load More Replies...Yes, it's the outside that is magical during these hours since my home is normally quiet anyway.
Load More Replies...No post, no phone calls etc. etc. Then you get a message from a friend at an ungodly hour, or family who is browsing internet and sends something they think you might like. Ignore it. They think you are asleep at 4 am. They don't want a reply or acknowledgement until tomorrow at the earliest. They are in the same place as you, in a peaceful safe place. If it's very urgent you will get lit up with calls and messages. Answer then. This is rare.
I'm a daytime introvert. As soon as the sun goes down my brain is like welp I guess it's time to sleep.
This was me! Before kids. 2 kids and hubby, all morning people...yikes!
Load More Replies...I love the night time. It’s like time stands still for hours and all worries just slip away. My particular issue is no matter how much effort I put in at trying to keep a day schedule, I will always slip back into being awake at night. I have read theories that think people are born to be awake at night as a survival strategy. The idea being out of a group of people, some will be born who instinctively stay awake at night to watch over everyone else. This has been observed with hunter gatherers. There is a small window of time that they are all asleep at the same time. So, there is the possibility that us night people are meant to be this way. Another evolutionary survival instinct that has outlived it’s purpose.
I never sleep and this is why. I need these chill hours to be a person the next day.
I relate to this hard. It's the only time my body feels relaxed (1-3 am) it's really hard still having to conform to normal society workday hours, but my body just wants it bad . With full knowledge the next morning will not be easy/fun.
I go to bed very early and get up at 1am. I love those hours before the world starts!
Wow, I came to that exact same conclusion about myself. Virtually verbatim!
That's the golden time. I'm always disappointed when I see the sky is beginning to show light.
I love the dark. I feel like it covers me and no one can find me. People are stupid and the night time, alone, is a respite from them.
I'm only awake then because my brain has the most book idea then and it's pure torture.
Similar - but I sleep early so I can get up around 4am and start my day with that feeling.
Being the first person out early in the morning makes me feel ultra-privileged, like I'm some kind of billionaire that had to pay for it.
Seltzer said that many factors make someone an introvert, but the most prominent among them relates to interacting with others, which drains their energy. "It doesn't much matter what their social skills are or whether they actually enjoy the other's company, they still feel depleted after being in another's company for a substantial period of time," the psychologist told Bored Panda.
"Because of this, they require more solitary time to regroup than do extroverts (who are energized, or re-energized, through socializing), which is one reason that, overall, introverts prefer to engage in solitary activities. They also prefer to write rather than speak, listen rather than talk, and small gatherings vs. large, boisterous parties."
Dembling added that introversion is one of what personality psychologists call the Big Five traits (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion—and therefore its opposite, introversion—agreeableness, neuroticism). "Some studies find that the brains of introverts are more active even in resting than those of extroverts, which causes us to be more easily overwhelmed/overstimulated," she explained.
There's also a huge body of research showing that extroverts are happier. But one recent study by the University of California, Riverside, psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky and U.C. Riverside graduate student Seth Margolis suggests that simply acting like an extrovert might actually boost well-being—even for introverts.
The researchers had 131 undergraduates initially undergo a number of assessments to set a baseline for their health and personality. Next, Lyubomirsky and Margolis asked the students to alter their behaviors in specific ways for one week. Some had to be more "talkative, assertive, and spontaneous"; others were instructed to be "deliberate, quiet, and reserved."
(Although these behaviors were not labeled extroverted or introverted, Margolis and Lyubomirsky essentially pushed the students to act within those categories.) At the week's end, the two groups took the same tests that had established their baseline, and then they reversed roles for the second week. Afterward, they took the assessments one last time.
The researchers analyzed responses to assess whether acting as an introvert or extrovert had any effect on well-being and discovered that leaning into extroverted behaviors resulted in participants reporting higher measures of well-being, including positive emotions, a sense of social connectedness, and flow (full immersion in an enjoyable activity).
The opposite was also true: people who acted more introverted than usual saw declines in well-being. "I kind of wish the research didn't show that, but it does," Lyubomirsky said.
Writer Sophia Dembling believes that Western society favors extroverts. "For example, many teachers grade students on class participation, which can be difficult for introverts, who do better in small groups, in writing, one-on-one," she explained. "Business also tends to favor extroverts. Introverts can find it difficult to shine in interviews, which are a form of performance, although research has found that while extroverts are better at getting the job, introverts are better at getting the job done."
"And introverts can have difficulty getting their voices heard in professional settings. In her excellent book The Genius of Opposites, Jennifer Kahnweiler suggests that introversion and extroversion should be treated as a diversity issue and that businesses do best with a balance of both and people who understand both," she added.
Psychologist Leon Seltzer also supports this notion, but he doesn't think that extroverts have it better everywhere. "My understanding is that in the U.S., extroverts outnumber introverts, but that the opposite is true in other parts of the world, both in Europe and particularly in Asia," he said. "If you look at ads in this country, you'll see that having a good time is illustrated not by someone sitting quietly reading a book but by eating and drinking with friends, playing sports, riding bikes, and so on."
"Moreover, it does seem to be true that in some subtle and not-so-subtle ways, introverts in America are discriminated against, almost as though their preferences are somewhat perverted. Added to this, creative individuals tend more to be introverts than extroverts, and being alone is less associated with loneliness than it is with extroverts."
Being an introvert can be challenging. Because they prefer quiet or alone time, some introverts can seem cold, aloof, or even antisocial to others that are more extroverted in nature.
"Being heard can be difficult; we need time to formulate our thoughts and are often talked over and through," Dembling said. "We also often take heat for our introversion, particularly young people. Kids are chastised if they would rather sit home with a book than go out and play with friends, and the party culture of college can be trying for introverts, who might even find themselves drinking too much in order to keep up with social demands."
Followed shortly by anxious potato worrying everyone was just laughing out of pity. (Please tell me that's not just me!)
Sleeping at 5 pm? Night is the best time to be alone, I can't miss out on this.
To make their lives easier, Dembling thinks introverts should take control of their socialization and do things they enjoy with people they enjoy rather than allowing themselves to always wait for invitations (which are often extended by extroverts to do extroverted things).
"Figure out what you like to do and do the uncomfortable thing by extending invitations and you might find yourself enjoying people more," she suggested. "Also, the only way I can get myself to go to parties is if I promise myself that I can leave any time I want. Don't let anyone tell you the party will just fall to pieces if you leave; it won’t, and if you let yourself leave when you’re ready, you will find it a lot easier to say yes the next time."
I figure introverts have their own wavelength. Eventually I'll come across someone with a compatible one.
If you need any encouragement, keep in mind that you don't need to reinvent yourself to connect to other people. "Contrary to common belief, introverts are no less skilled than extroverts in socializing," Seltzer said.
"In fact, because they're better listeners than extroverts and think first about what they're going to say before saying it—vs. extroverts, who need to discover what they think about something by first circling around it—as often as not, extroverts can learn as much about effective socializing from introverts as the reverse."
Yes. Yes, we do want this ring. Also, if you must, living plants are better than cut flowers.
The bottom line is that there's nothing wrong with the fact that you're an introvert. Or an extrovert, for that matter.
"The brain's reticular activating system determines whether one leans toward introversion or extroversion, and it's not anything that can change or needs to change," Seltzer added. "As a therapist, I've had people come to me to help me change them from an introvert to its opposite, and my response is that I can't do that, but I can help them to accept—and even celebrate—their introversion, which is not a defect."
"If they do need to develop better social skills, I can help them achieve that, but it won't change their inborn disposition to find introverted thinking and activity more congenial than what's 'natural' to their extroverted counterparts. Nor should it be," the psychologist explained.
Once overheard someone asking a kid of about this age what she wanted for Christmas and she said "peace and quiet", and that kid is clearly my people.
oh the misery im my my worst enemy spare the sympathy im my worst enemy
I always thought this was a weird question to ask people. "What thing do you do for money to pay for the things you need?" Um, why do you want to know that? Are you measuring my worth by how much money you think I make?
Walking from your table to the washroom and back. Hardest thing to navigate ever especially in a crowded restaurant 😑
Note: this post originally had 138 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
Being shy or socially awkward is not always the same as being an introvert. I have good social skills and like to chat with people. Bit I am still an introvert who likes to be alone most of the time because people make me tired.
I don’t think they understand the difference between Introvert and Extrovert. Introvert just means you are recharged by being alone, but there are social introverts would wouldn’t really act this way. I also know shy extroverts which means you are refueled by being with other people. 😀
Extroverts are like vampires sucking the life force out of others, except they expend that life force chasing after more life force.
Load More Replies...What's the difference between social anxiety and being an introvert. Dumb question but whatever
Definitely not a dumb question, especially since most of these memes contribute to the misconception that introversion=social anxiety. Introversion is where you feel emotionally and mentally drained by being around other people, and need time alone (often in a quiet place) to recharge yourself. It's a personality type. Social anxiety is a fear of social interaction, often characterized by a fear of judgement from others. Depending on the severity, it can be an actual mental illness that requires treatment. Social anxiety can be a problem for both introverts and extroverts, but it's more common in introverted personalities.
Load More Replies...In a utopian society, there is a system in place. Introverts have a daily quota to meet for the number of people they interact with. Once they have spoken to enough people, they are done for the day and may continue their business for the rest of the day. Extroverts have a daily limit for the number of people they interact with. Once they have spoken to enough people, they are done for the day and cannot establish contact for the rest of the day. On Fridays, extroverts are allowed to speak as often as they would like and introverts are allowed to stay home. One Nobel prize, please.
I've identified 4 categories, observing my parents, that can be mixed to give you a better understanding of people: my dad was a social extrovert, my mom is an antisocial introvert. My brother is a social extrovert like my dad. I am a weird antisocial extrovert
As an introvert would you talk or relate to the help when he/she/ they arrive(s)?
Load More Replies...I can't tell you how much I related to this... and this is the closest anyone would get to know it too, LOL!
The pandemic was only practice for me… my introvert powers are only getting stronger…
Having finally finished my MSc, I was thinking, "oh thank god! 2.5 years and I can finally have my life back... Damn. That means I no longer have an excuse for not seeing people. I'll have to socialise... Probs should do though. Haven't been a great friend to some folks I care about. So yesterday I had not ONE but THREE social engagements in a single day. Was out all day. I am literally traumatised today. So mentally exhausted, it's just me, music and the cats all day. I'm recovering.
Being introvert doesn't mean you want to be home 24/7. It means I want to go out, but I don't want to socialize when I'm out.
Being shy or socially awkward is not always the same as being an introvert. I have good social skills and like to chat with people. Bit I am still an introvert who likes to be alone most of the time because people make me tired.
I don’t think they understand the difference between Introvert and Extrovert. Introvert just means you are recharged by being alone, but there are social introverts would wouldn’t really act this way. I also know shy extroverts which means you are refueled by being with other people. 😀
Extroverts are like vampires sucking the life force out of others, except they expend that life force chasing after more life force.
Load More Replies...What's the difference between social anxiety and being an introvert. Dumb question but whatever
Definitely not a dumb question, especially since most of these memes contribute to the misconception that introversion=social anxiety. Introversion is where you feel emotionally and mentally drained by being around other people, and need time alone (often in a quiet place) to recharge yourself. It's a personality type. Social anxiety is a fear of social interaction, often characterized by a fear of judgement from others. Depending on the severity, it can be an actual mental illness that requires treatment. Social anxiety can be a problem for both introverts and extroverts, but it's more common in introverted personalities.
Load More Replies...In a utopian society, there is a system in place. Introverts have a daily quota to meet for the number of people they interact with. Once they have spoken to enough people, they are done for the day and may continue their business for the rest of the day. Extroverts have a daily limit for the number of people they interact with. Once they have spoken to enough people, they are done for the day and cannot establish contact for the rest of the day. On Fridays, extroverts are allowed to speak as often as they would like and introverts are allowed to stay home. One Nobel prize, please.
I've identified 4 categories, observing my parents, that can be mixed to give you a better understanding of people: my dad was a social extrovert, my mom is an antisocial introvert. My brother is a social extrovert like my dad. I am a weird antisocial extrovert
As an introvert would you talk or relate to the help when he/she/ they arrive(s)?
Load More Replies...I can't tell you how much I related to this... and this is the closest anyone would get to know it too, LOL!
The pandemic was only practice for me… my introvert powers are only getting stronger…
Having finally finished my MSc, I was thinking, "oh thank god! 2.5 years and I can finally have my life back... Damn. That means I no longer have an excuse for not seeing people. I'll have to socialise... Probs should do though. Haven't been a great friend to some folks I care about. So yesterday I had not ONE but THREE social engagements in a single day. Was out all day. I am literally traumatised today. So mentally exhausted, it's just me, music and the cats all day. I'm recovering.
Being introvert doesn't mean you want to be home 24/7. It means I want to go out, but I don't want to socialize when I'm out.